Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna Resigns Amid Voter List Uproar
BJP slams Congress for stifling truth
Karnataka Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna resigned on Monday following a political storm triggered by his candid admission that voter list irregularities, a key accusation leveled by Congress against the BJP, occurred during the Congress’s own tenure in the state. The resignation, confirmed by sources in the Chief Minister’s Office, came after a meeting with CM Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha, where Rajanna, a loyalist of the CM, was reportedly directed by the Congress high command to step down.
Rajanna’s remarks, made on August 10 in Tumakuru, contradicted Congress’s narrative, led by Rahul Gandhi, that the Election Commission (EC) colluded with the BJP to manipulate voter rolls in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “When was the voter list prepared? It was during our government. Were we all sitting with eyes closed?” Rajanna said, admitting fraud in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura constituency, where Gandhi claimed over 1 lakh fake votes were added. “These irregularities happened right in front of our eyes—we should feel ashamed,” he added, urging leaders to object during draft roll preparation.
The BJP seized the opportunity, with leaders like CT Ravi and Basavaraj Bommai accusing Congress of suppressing dissent. “There’s no democracy in Congress—if you tell the truth, you’re forced to resign,” Ravi said. The party raised the issue in the Karnataka Assembly, demanding clarity from Rajanna and Law Minister HK Patil. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar distanced the party from Rajanna’s comments, stating, “He’s at fault. The CM and high command will respond.” Shivakumar also criticized the EC’s notice to Gandhi, insisting the party had provided evidence of fraud.
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Rajanna’s exit, the second resignation from Siddaramaiah’s cabinet after B. Nagendra’s over a Valmiki Corporation scam, exposes internal rifts within Karnataka Congress. His earlier calls for replacing Shivakumar as KPCC president and predicting an “August Revolution” had already strained relations. Social media on X reflected mixed reactions, noting BJP’s demand for accountability, while others criticized Congress’s handling as a sign of weak leadership.
The controversy, unfolding during the Assembly’s monsoon session, weakens Congress’s voter fraud campaign, which alleges BJP-EC collusion across Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra. With Rajanna’s resignation forwarded to the Governor, the episode underscores the challenges of maintaining party unity amid electoral disputes.
